Door latch



April 6 1926.

E. c. OSBECK p'oon LATCH Filed May 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'IIIIIIIIII).

7 veza Z7717? -Ejrner C. O

Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES v v 1,579,565. PATENT OFFICE.

ELMEB C. OSBECK, OF GRAN RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 GRAND RAPIDS BRASS COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

DOOR LATCH.

Application filed May 16, 1924. Serial No. 713,643.

v generally, to provide an improved device of thatcharacter whereby such doors may be securely and tightly held shut, and may nevertheless be easily opened.

This and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by.

and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the structure or structures hereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a latch carried by a swingable door and a keeper therefor carried by the jamb of the door;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, partially sectioned on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a like view of a portion of the same, showing the bolt in unlatching position Figure 4 is a plan view of certain parts thereof showing a slightly modified construction Figures 5 and 6 are like views of the same parts showing other slightly modified constructions;

Figure 7 is a front view of a latch carried by a swingable door and a keeper therefor carried bythe doors jamb, and illustrating a modified construction;

Figure 8 is a plan view thereof, partially sectioned on line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a like view of a portion of the same showing the bolt in unlatching position.

In the drawings, my improved latch is shown mounted adjacent the free edge of a swingable refrigerator door 1, the keeper 2 of the latch being mounted on the jamb 3 of the door. The bolt 4 has a longitudinal latching and unlatching movement in beartags 5, 6, its outer end portion 7 being adapted to ride up on the inclined front face 8 of the keeper as the door is swung to I nearly its closed position, and to move to 'a p sition wherem 1t. wedgmglyengages latchingly'the inclined inner face 9 of the keeper, sald end portion 7 being preferably provided with an anti-friction roller 10.'

This bolt 4 is yieldingly moved into and held 1n this wedgingly latching position by a spring 11 pressing between the inner surface of the casing 12 of the latch and the shoulder 13 of the bolt.

This casing has a bolt-retaining memberthe lug or projection 1 4-and the bearings 5, 6, (particularly bearing 5) are sufficiently wide in the bolts lateral direction, i. e. in a direction at right angles to the doors outer surface, that the bolt may move thus laterally therein sufficiently to permit the bolts portion 15, i. e. the shoulder of a notch formed in its inner side, to be holdingly engaged by said member 14, when the bolt is retracted to the position seen in Figure 3, 111 which position the roller 10 is held from latching engagement with the When however, the door is swung toward shut position, the. bolts end portion 7, i. e.

' its roller 10, strikes the face portion 16 of the keeper, and the bolt is thus moved laterally sufliciently to release its shoulder portion 15 from the bolt-retaining member 14, whereupon the spring 11 presses the bolt outwardly, thus causing the roller to wedgingly engage the inner face 9 of the keeper to hold the door tightly closed.

The bolt 4 may be retracted against the pressure of the spring 11 by a lever handle 18 fulcrumed at 19 on the door or the latch casing 12 and having an arm 20 engaging in a notch 30 or hearing extending transversely of the bolt. This notch may have an inclined bearing surface 22 as shown Figure 5, so that when the bolt has been retracted further than the position seen in Figure 3 and is held in that position by the handle lever, the bolt will, under pressure 'of the spring 11 move laterally into the held position seen in Figure 3, the inclined bearing surface 22 of the notch causing such laterala-a in. Figures 4 and 6 of the engaging 'action of the arm 20 i h the bearing Sun 1 0 keeper.

It will also be seen that where the line I It will also be seen that where the spring 11 is inclined as shown in Figure 4:, so as to urge the bolt not only longitudinally but laterally, the bolts portion 15 and the boltr'etaining member 14: will be brought into engagement.

In Figures 7, 8 and 9 another modified construction of the latch is shown. In these views, the bolt carries a steel plate 15 preferably of hard steel and inclined as shown,

adapted to be holdingly engaged by the bolt-retaining member 14 formed in the latch-casing.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment or embodiments thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In combination with a keeper therefor, a door latch comprising: a bolt-retaining member; a bolt having a longitudinal movement and a lateral movement relatively to said member, and a ortion adapted to be engaged by said mem er, and a transversely extending bearing; a spring pr ssing the bolt into latching engagement with the keep 'er,tl 1e bolt being laterally movable to disengage its said portion from said member by striking the keeper; a lever handle having an arm-engaging in said bearing to move the bolt against the pressure of the spring.

2. In combination with a keeper therefor, a door latch comprising: a bolt-retaining member; a bolt having a longitudinal movement and a lateral movement relatively to said member, and a ortion adapted to be engaged by said mem er, and a transversely extending inclined bearing; a spring pressing the bolt into latching engagement with the keeper, the bolt being laterally movable to disenga e its said ortion from said member by striking the eeper; a lever handle having an arm engaging in said bearing to move the bolt laterally and longitudinally against the pressure of the spring.

3. In combination with a keeper therefor,

a door latch comprising: a bolt-retaining member; a bolt having a: longitudinal movement and a lateral movement relatively to said member, and a ortion adapted to be engaged by said mem er, and a transversely extending bearing; a spring pressing the bolt into latching engagement with the keeper, the bolt being laterally movable to disengage its said portion from said membar by striking the keeper; a lever handle having an arm engaging in said bearing laterally from the direction of the pressure of the spring, to move the bolt longitudinally against the pressure of the spring and also laterally.

4. In combination with a keeper therefor, a door latch comprising: a bolt-retaining member; a bolt having alongitudinal movement and a lateral movement relatively to said member, and a portion adapted to be engaged by said member; a spring pressing the bolt into latching engagement with the keeper and the bolts said portion into engagement with said member, the bolt being laterally movable to disengage its said portion from said member by striking the keeper. I

5. In a latch, the combination of a housing, -ab'olt reciprocatingly mounted on said housing and having a catch on its inner side engageable when the bolt is retracted, a spring for projecting said bolt, a retracting lever pivotally mounted on said housing and having an arm projecting into said housing into sliding engagement with said bolt, the bolt and arm having coacting cam surfaces acting to swing the bolt laterally to catch engaging position when retracted, and a strike having a art with which said bolt engages on the c osing of the door to disengage the bolt catch. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan, th s 14th day of May, 1924.

ELMER C. OSBECK. 

